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Monday 4 August 2025
Gary Man Sentenced to 24 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Lanear Finch, 25 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Finch was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between November 2019 and January 2021, Finch operated a straw purchasing ring with a co-defendant, through which he recruited individuals to purchase firearms on his behalf from federally licensed dealers in Northwest Indiana. In total, Finch facilitated the straw purchase of approximately 17 firearms.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to over $30 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Matthew Dane Billingsley, 39, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded individual lenders and financial institutions out of $30 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, between June 2018 and February 2023, Billingsley made false representations about having a brokerage account with millions of dollars in assets to serve as collateral for loans. Billingsley gave fabricated brokerage account statements to obtain more than $30 million in loans from individual lenders and financial institutions. The brokerage account statements were false because the brokerage account did not exist. Billingsley also misrepresented to individual lenders and financial institutions the intended use of the loan funds and instead used the money to pay down previous loans and for his personal benefit.
To obtain one of the loans, Billingsley used a Fresno restaurant owner’s name and signature on a profit-sharing agreement that Billingsley created and forged. Billingsley presented the false and fraudulent profit-sharing agreement to a financial institution to obtain a loan.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.
Billingsley is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Nov. 10, 2025. Billingsley faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Founder and Managing Director of Tax Lien Investment Firm Convicted of Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, Sean S. Buckley, announced today the conviction of JOHN ARTHUR HANRATTY, the founder and managing director of a tax lien investment firm, for his role in a fraudulent scheme to steal over $20 million from investors and a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)-insured bank. The defendant was found guilty following a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2026.
“John Arthur Hanratty, a New York-licensed attorney and the founder of a multi-million-dollar municipal tax lien investment firm, lied to investors and stole money from a bank by falsely claiming to own millions of dollars of tax lien collateral to obtain more than $20 million in loan advances,” said Attorney for the United States Sean S. Buckley. “This verdict highlights our Office’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the lending and investment markets by protecting lenders and investors from financial fraud.”
As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial:
HANRATTY was the Founder and Managing Director of Ebury Street Capital, LLC (“Ebury Street Capital”), an investment firm with a portfolio primarily comprised of municipal tax liens. HANRATTY has been an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of New York since 2002 and held legal and compliance positions at well-known investment firms and financial institutions, including serving as the Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel for a trading broker dealer.
Between 2017 and 2021, HANRATTY participated in a fraudulent scheme to steal money from an FDIC-insured bank (“Victim Bank-1”) by drawing down on commercial lines of credit that had been extended to Ebury Street Capital. Specifically, HANRATTY made materially false statements inflating by millions of dollars tax lien collateral pledged to Victim Bank-1. As a result of HANRATTY’s misstatements, Victim Bank-1 was defrauded of over $20 million. In addition, HANRATTY falsely told investors and Victim Bank-1 that the tax lien collateral was managed by an independent third-party custodian, when, in reality, that was not true. The defendant’s fraud ultimately resulted in millions of dollars of losses for the investors in Ebury Street Capital and for Victim Bank-1.
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HANRATTY, 50, of New Jersey, was convicted of one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and two counts of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Buckley praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Chan, Nicholas Chiuchiolo, Danielle Kudla, and Adam Sowlati are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Alexander Ross.
Former Township Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Linda Tarlecki, age 63, of Aristes, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion and bank fraud before Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Tarlecki was the former Secretary/Treasurer for Conyngham Township, Columbia County. From 2013 through 2017, Tarlecki defrauded the Township and Fulton National Bank of over $147,000 by issuing forged paychecks to herself to which she was not entitled. Tarlecki also failed to report this additional income on her personal income taxes, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS of over $38,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey MacArthur prosecuted the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 35 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Former NFL Player Convicted of Operating Large-Scale Dog Fighting and Trafficking Venture in OklahomaRead the Press Release
Note: The release has been updated to include a quote from the FBI Director.
Following a multi-day trial, a federal jury in Oklahoma last week convicted Leshon Eugene Johnson, 54, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, on six felony counts of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act’s prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures.
Following the verdict, Johnson surrendered to the government the 190 dogs seized in this case. The government is pursuing forfeiture of these dogs. The United States Marshals Service cares for dogs seized in dog fighting cases through its asset forfeiture program.
“This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting animals from abuse — 190 dogs are now safe thanks to outstanding collaborative work by our attorneys and law enforcement components.”
“The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting,” said Director Kash Patel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.”
“This conviction sends a strong message that those who abuse animals for entertainment and profit will face serious consequences under federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and our partners are committed to aggressively prosecuting individuals who perpetuate the brutal practice of dog fighting and to disrupting this illegal and inhumane industry.”
“Dog fighting is a vicious and cruel crime that has no place in a civilized society,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I commend the hard work of our law enforcement partners in investigating this case and holding the defendant accountable for his crimes.”
The conviction stems from an indictment unsealed in March which detailed Johnson’s operation of “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs and their offspring for the purpose of dog fighting, profiting from the cruel and illegal industry. Authorities seized the 190 dogs from his property, which is the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case. Johnson, who had a prior state conviction for dog fighting in 2004, will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency office investigated the case.
Sarah M. Brown, Ethan Eddy, and Todd W. Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, prosecuted the case.
Former NFL Player Convicted of Operating Large-Scale Dog Fighting and Trafficking Venture in OklahomaRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - Following a multi-day trial, a federal jury in Oklahoma last week convicted Leshon Eugene Johnson, 54, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, on six felony counts of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act’s prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures.
Following the verdict, Johnson surrendered to the government the 190 dogs seized in this case. The government is pursuing forfeiture of these dogs. The United States Marshals Service cares for dogs seized in dog fighting cases through its asset forfeiture program.
“This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting animals from abuse — 190 dogs are now safe thanks to outstanding collaborative work by our attorneys and law enforcement components.”
“The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting,” said Director Kash Patel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.”
“This conviction sends a strong message that those who abuse animals for entertainment and profit will face serious consequences under federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and our partners are committed to aggressively prosecuting individuals who perpetuate the brutal practice of dog fighting and to disrupting this illegal and inhumane industry.”
“Dog fighting is a vicious and cruel crime that has no place in a civilized society,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I commend the hard work of our law enforcement partners in investigating this case and holding the defendant accountable for his crimes.”
The conviction stems from an indictment unsealed in March which detailed Johnson’s operation of “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs and their offspring for the purpose of dog fighting, profiting from the cruel and illegal industry. Authorities seized the 190 dogs from his property, which is the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case. Johnson, who had a prior state conviction for dog fighting in 2004, will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency office investigated the case.
Sarah M. Brown, Ethan Eddy, and Todd W. Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, prosecuted the case.
Five commercial fishermen charged in illegal halibut fishing conspiracyRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging five southeast Alaska commercial fishermen with conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat, Vincent Jacobson, 51, of Yakutat, Kyle Dierick, 36, of Yakutat, Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova, and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington, all experienced commercial fishermen, each conspired to illegally harvest halibut near Yakutat on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2023.
Court documents allege that Pavlik separately conspired with Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross to illegally harvest and land halibut through various means, including each defendant landing halibut without having been aboard the fishing vessel at all times during the fishing trips, which violates federal law and regulations. The indictment alleges that Pavlik, Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross intentionally falsely reported that the halibut caught was creditable to their respective Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit balances, which is a permit any individual commercially fishing for halibut in the waters off Alaska is required to have. Pavlik and the three co-conspirators are responsible for over 10,700 pounds of illegally harvested halibut.
The indictment further alleges that between Aug. 31, 2023, and Oct. 11, 2023, Pavlik sold and intentionally made false statements regarding over 9,600 pounds of halibut that was caught on the F/V Bad Intentions but illegally transferred to the F/V New Era before landing for sale.
Pavlik is charged with four counts of Lacey Act conspiracy, five counts of Lacey Act—unlawful sale, and five counts of Lacey Act—false labeling. Jacobson, Dierick, Babic and Ross are each charged with one count of Lacey Act conspiracy. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearances over the next two weeks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in prison for each count and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Assistant Director Benjamin Cheeseman of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division made the announcement.
The NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement Alaska Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
UPDATE: This release has been updated to reflect a spelling error.
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Five Individuals Arrested by the FBI in Four Separate CasesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned three indictments charging four individuals for multiple violent charges. Another individual was arrested via criminal complaint for firearms violations. The investigations and arrests are part of Operation Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime, gangs and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
According to court documents, on July 30, 2025, the Grand Jury returned an Indictment against Carlos Ortiz-Hernández for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and for possession of a machinegun in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(o). These efforts were a collaboration between FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julian Radzinschi is prosecuting the case.
On July 30, 2025, the San Juan Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF – HIDTA – CE-1) executed the arrest of Diana Lee Vázquez-Arroyo, charged with conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to distribute, and to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 846. Vázquez-Arroyo was accused of sending narcotics through the San Juan International Airport to the state of New York. This arrest is a result of our HSTF efforts including FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and US Marshals Service (USMS), which are prioritizing resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. This arrest was executed in coordination with the US Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York.
On July 31, 2025, the Safe Streets Task Force (Gangs) executed a search warrant in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico in search of evidence of the possession of a machinegun Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(o), which resulted in the arrest of Gilbert Manuel Fajardo Álvarez based on a complaint for findings of a modified rifle, which changes its capability to fully automatic. These is an example of how the FBI and ATF are working together to dismantle violent gangs and make our communities safer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Díaz-González is prosecuting the case.
On July 31, 2025, the Aguadilla Resident Agency (ARA) arrested René Esponda-Rodríguez and Verona Salas-Arce, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i), possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person (felon) in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B) and Title 18 U.S.C. §2, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) and Title 18 U.S.C. §2. These arrests demonstrate our commitment to eradicate violent crime, drug trafficking and their leaders in all parts of our area of responsibility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Pedro Casablanca is prosecuting the case.
“The people of Puerto Rico are safer following the arrests of these individuals who were charged with different violent crimes and firearms violations,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Federal, state and local law enforcement partners are continuously coordinating and investigating to keep this work going and make our communities safe.”
“By now it should be clear that Summer doesn’t slow us down—it sharpens our focus,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “While the people we’re sworn to serve are enjoying the season, we’re working—quietly, relentlessly, around the clock—to identify and dismantle those driving violence in our communities. Every arrest this week is proof that Operation Summer Heat is not just a headline. It’s a methodical campaign—fueled by the dedicated men and women of FBI San Juan and our partners—designed to find thugs and remove them from our streets before they do more harm. If you’ve chosen that life, you’re already on our list, and we won’t stop until you face justice.”
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Financial TV Analyst and One-Time Fugitive Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Con of Victim InvestorsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former San Gabriel Valley resident – who was a frequent guest on financial television news programs then became a fugitive from justice after being accused of scamming investors – was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for defrauding his victims out of millions of dollars.
James Arthur McDonald Jr., 53, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who will order restitution in this case at a hearing to take place on a future date.
McDonald pleaded guilty on April 7 to one count of securities fraud.
McDonald was the CEO and chief investment officer of two companies headquartered in Los Angeles: Hercules Investments LLC and Index Strategy Advisors Inc. (ISA). He frequently appeared as an analyst on the CNBC financial television news network.
In late 2020, McDonald lost tens of millions of dollars of Hercules client money after adopting a risky short position that effectively bet against the health of the United States economy in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election. McDonald projected that the COVID-19 pandemic and the election would result in major selloffs that would cause the stock market to drop. When the market decline didn’t occur, Hercules clients lost between $30 million and $40 million. By December 2020, Hercules clients were complaining to company employees about the losses in their accounts.
In early 2021, McDonald solicited millions of dollars' worth of funds from investors in the form of a purported capital raise for Hercules but misrepresented how the funds would be used and failed to disclose the massive losses Hercules previously sustained. As part of the capital raise, McDonald obtained $675,000 in investment funds from one victim group on March 9, 2021. He misappropriated most of those funds in various ways, including spending $174,610 at a Porsche dealership and transferring $109,512 to the landlord of a home McDonald was renting in Arcadia.
McDonald also defrauded clients of ISA, his other firm, using less than half of the approximately $3.6 million he raised for trading purposes. Instead, McDonald frequently commingled ISA client funds with funds from his personal bank account, which he used to purchase luxury cars and to pay rent on his home, personal credit card charges, and Hercules operating expenses and to make Ponzi-like payments to ISA clients – such as paying some ISA clients using funds from other clients.
In total, prosecutors argue that McDonald caused his victims more than $3 million in losses.
McDonald failed to appear before the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in November 2021 to testify after allegations arose that he had defrauded investors and remained a fugitive until his arrest in June 2024 at a residence in Port Orchard, Washington. McDonald has been in custody since then. At McDonald’s Washington state hideout, law enforcement found, among other things, a fake Washington, D.C., driver’s license bearing McDonald’s photograph and the name “Brian Thomas,” according to court documents.
“To his victims, [McDonald] seemed to embody the American Dream,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “But looks can be deceiving, and as [McDonald’s] victims learned, their trust had been betrayed.”
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
In September 2022, the SEC filed a civil complaint charging McDonald and Hercules with violations of federal securities law. In April 2024, United States District Judge Percy Anderson found McDonald and Hercules liable and ordered that they pay several million dollars in disgorgement and civil penalties.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Federal Law Enforcement Meets with Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal CouncilRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III organized and led a delegation of federal law enforcement leaders and law enforcement leaders from Canada to visit the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council at the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation near Hogansburg, New York, on June 4.
United States Attorney Sarcone thanked the Tribal Council for hosting the meeting, which included the Special Agents in Charge and leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, and the New York State Police.
The meeting focused on collaboration between federal agencies and the Tribal Council to further promote public safety and a sense of community on the Akwesasne Territory.
Acting United States Attorney Sarcone said, “Thank you to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council for their gracious welcome and our robust discussion. I look forward to continuing my Office’s strong relationship with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, and federal law enforcement and Canadian partners. We remain committed to working with our Tribal partners to target criminals who exploit the Akwesasne Territory to fuel their greed and to smuggle guns, drugs and people across the U.S.-Canada border.”
FBI Special Agent Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Ensuring the safety of our communities can only be accomplished when we collaborate and leverage our tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships. This meeting was an important step forward, and the FBI appreciates the U.S. Attorney bringing everyone together for this impactful discussion. FBI Albany is committed to building these relationships and working together to investigate anyone looking to exploit the Akwesasne Territory through criminal activity that endangers the community.”
HSI Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “I was proud to participate in this historic meeting between members of federal law enforcement and members of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in which we reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to securing our northern border through the power of collaboration. Our long-standing partnership with Canadian law enforcement, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and our state, local and federal partners on the HSI Massena Homeland Security Task Force exemplifies the strength of collective action in safeguarding our communities and ensuring the safety of our nation. Together, we are building a safer future.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated: “The DEA was honored to join with our federal partners in meeting Chief Beverly Cook and the leadership of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council. We are deeply grateful for the time they extended to us. We value the opportunity to build trust, engage in meaningful dialogue, and strengthen our partnership as we work together to protect all communities from the threat of illicit narcotics and fentanyl.”
Bryan Miller, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division, stated: “ATF New York was honored to join our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in meeting with tribal leaders to discuss shared public safety priorities. Strengthening relationships begins with open dialogue, and we value the opportunity to sit together, listen, and address the issues impacting our communities. Collaboration and mutual respect are essential to keeping all our communities safe.”
Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia stated: “Swanton Sector Border Patrol is committed to maintaining our already remarkable relationship with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Services. Our shared mission is to protect the public while preventing transnational criminal organizations from misusing the territory by smuggling humans, illicit goods, and dangerous contraband across the region.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., New York Field Office, stated: “It is incredibly important that IRS-CI continue to build relationships with all our federal, state, local and tribal partners for continued collaboration and cooperation. We look forward to enhancing our financial investigations with more information sharing to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities.”USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “I greatly appreciate the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council for their thoughtful welcome and valuable insights shared of Akwesasne’s history and people. This important meeting reinforces our shared commitment to protecting the communities we serve through strategic collaboration and a shared vision among our tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The United States Postal Inspection Service remains committed to building partnerships and continuing collective efforts in the Akwesasne Territory to protect the U.S. Mail from criminal activity; protect its employees, infrastructure, and customers; and ensure public trust in the mail.”
U.S. Secret Service Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Perras stated: “The value of partnerships is a core tenet of the United States Secret Service and as such, would like to express our sincere gratitude to St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police for their hospitality in hosting our federal partners for an insightful and productive meeting on shared public safety and law enforcement concerns.”
BIA Division of Drug Enforcement Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson stated: “The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Drug Enforcement, is honored to have joined the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council for this important dialogue. Opportunities like these strengthen our commitment to collaborative public safety initiatives, and we remain dedicated to building lasting partnerships with all stakeholders involved.”
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commander Karine Gagne, Criminal Operations, Eastern Region, stated: “The RCMP remains committed to working closely with our U.S. law enforcement partners to disrupt cross-border criminal activity while respecting the unique policing environment of the Akwesasne territory. This meeting reflects the strength of our cross-border relationships and our collective dedication to working in partnership with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service to build trust, address public safety challenges and ensure the safety of all communities on both sides of the border.”
From the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council:
On June 4, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council hosted officials from multiple agencies to strengthen relationships between tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations. Attendees included senior officials from the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department and Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, United States Attorney's Office – Northern District of New York, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, New York State Police, and Royal Mounted Canadian Police Service.
Chief Beverly Cook provided the background for the conversation by presenting “Common Ground,” a comprehensive overview of the United States history with Indigenous people and nations, and how it has affected Akwesasne and the Mohawk people. She included intergenerational impacts of past U.S. policies—especially residential schools and the pervasive environmental contamination affecting the Akwesasne people. Chief Cook explained the legacy of trauma affecting our families, noting that recent studies suggest our population experiences higher rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) compared to our counterparts in surrounding communities. The presentation asserted inherent sovereignty while promoting a fuller understanding of Akwesasne’s history and contemporary challenges as they relate to law enforcement activity and interactions with the Akwesasne people.
The historic meeting was the first time federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies gathered at Akwesasne to discuss concerns and opportunities for greater cooperation to ensure the vibrant community of Akwesasne is kept safe and secure, with our Tribal Police and Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service as the lead agencies. The collaboration with outside law enforcement was addressed as an important step toward strengthening relationships to foster respect for our history, culture, and rights as a recognized sovereign entity responsible to govern and safeguard the Akwesasne Mohawk territory.
The Tribal Council extends its gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for coordinating all of our law enforcement partners. Niá:wen to all the agencies for visiting Akwesasne and taking the time to learn about the land, the community, and its People.
Pictured in alphabetical order:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Anderson
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief Beverly Conners
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief Michael Conners
Lindsay Day, Administrative Support, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
IRS Supervisory Special Agent Mark Deluca
ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo
Border Patrol Swanton Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Richard Fortunato
HSI Acting Resident Agent in Charge Emily Francis
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Hanlon
HSI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremiah Healey
DEA Public Affairs Specialist Kenneth Heino
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Sub-Chief Benjamin Herne
DEA Deputy Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Sub-Chief Agnes “Sweets” Jacobs
DEA Associate Special Agent in Charge Daniel Kafafian
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Sub-Chief Derrick King
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Kopita
Plattsburgh RAC Michael Laravia
USPIS Postal Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward
RCMP Staff Sergeant Philiippe Melançon
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shane Nastoff
U.S. Secret Service Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Perras
Matt Rourke, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief of Police
Border Patrol Massena Station Patrol Agent in Charge Jarrod Sanders
United States Attorney John Sarcone
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino
RCMP Inspector Étienne Thauvette
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Police Lt. DeCota Thompson
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief Donald Thompson Jr.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli
Fayetteville Man Convicted of Embezzling from U.S. Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Fayetteville man pleaded guilty to misappropriation of postal funds and to making false entries and reports in U.S. Government records.
According to court documents, Robert Raquan Patterson, 29, served as a sales and services distribution associate for the U.S. Postal Service, Evergreen Post Office. In this capacity, Patterson was responsible for the office’s finances and had access to its financial systems and records. From November 1, 2022, to July 30, 2024, Patterson fraudulently issued 129 postal money orders for his benefit and falsely reported debit and credit card payments that corresponded to these money orders. Patterson’s theft and false reporting resulted in at least $74,735 in losses to the U.S. Postal Service. Patterson used the stolen funds for personal expenditures, including hotels, flights, and cash withdrawals.
Patterson pleaded guilty to one count of misappropriation of postal funds and to one count of making false entries and reports and faces a maximum of 240 months in prison when sentenced on August 7, 2025.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-cr-00036-M.
East Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Arnold Flores, 30 years old, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Moody after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Flores was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, Flores, an illegal alien with a prior felony conviction for residential entry, possessed a firearm that he displayed to the occupants of another vehicle while driving in Schererville in October 2024, and he possessed another firearm in Gary in February 2025. Both firearms were recovered by law enforcement.
“This District is dedicated to prosecuting illegal aliens who, like Arnold Flores, choose to violate federal law by possessing firearms that Congress has prohibited them from possessing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “As Mr. Flores has learned, such serious crimes will not go unpunished in northern Indiana. My thanks go out to the combined team of state, local, and federal law enforcement professionals who brought him to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Gary and Schererville Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Dulce Man Charged with Shooting Minor During ArgumentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been charged in federal court for allegedly shooting a minor during an argument inside a vehicle.
According to court documents, on July 21, 2025, the minor victim was in a vehicle with another person when they picked up Leandrew Cody Velarde, 21, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, who appeared intoxicated. During a subsequent argument, a gun discharged, striking the victim in the buttocks. When the victim attempted to call 911, Velarde reportedly threw their phone and fled the scene.
The victim was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. Investigators later recovered a Glock handgun and a spent shell casing near the scene. Velarde was arrested nearby and found in possession of marijuana, liquor, and a cell phone.
Velarde is charged with abandonment and abuse of a child, recklessly caused, resulting in great bodily harm. He will remain in third-party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Velarde faces 18 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Velarde).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Danville Woman Sentenced for Failure to Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – The former majority owner and operator of a home health care business who failed to pay over $600,000 in employment taxes was sentenced last week to three years’ probation with 12 months of home confinement.
Julia Ann McKinnis, 66, of Danville, Virginia waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty in October 2024 to one count of willfully failing to pay taxes. McKinnis was also ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.
According to court documents, in 2007, McKinnis began operating a home health care business called Angel Wings Home Health. Since at least 2010, McKinnis has been the administrator and 90 percent owner of Angel Wings.
In 2011, the Collections Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched an investigation into Angel Wings’s failure to properly report and pay employment taxes. The investigation concluded in 2016, and Angel Wings entered into an installment agreement to pay the unpaid taxes.
However, beginning in the third quarter of 2018 and continuing through the fourth quarter of 2021, Angel Wings substantially understated its employee wages to the IRS and again failed to report and pay the employment taxes that the company owed.
C. Todd Gilbert, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation investigated the case
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff prosecuted the case for the United States.
Crown Point Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Craig Whalum, Jr., 38 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to distributing heroin, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Whalum was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in the fall of 2019, Whalum sold heroin/fentanyl mixtures to law enforcement on seven occasions. Whalum’s criminal history includes seven prior felony drug convictions. After being released from the Indiana Department of Corrections on October 21, 2019, his first sale of heroin/fentanyl occurred nine days later, on October 30, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
Convicted Animal Abuser Krystal Scott Ordered to Return to Federal Prison After Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Krystal Scott, 24, of Kokomo, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violating conditions of her previous supervised release.
In November of 2021, Scott pled guilty to Animal Crushing, a violation of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act under Title 18, United States Code, Section 48(a). In that case, Scott, using an alias, acquired dogs and cats online on the false premise that she intended to adopt and care for them, when she actually intended to torture and kill them. After Scott acquired the animals, she posted videos online depicting her engaged in animal crushing, namely, purposely crushing, suffocating, impaling, or otherwise subjecting the animals to serious bodily injury and death. Scott was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
In June of 2023, Scott was released from federal prison and began serving her five-year term of supervised release.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at a revocation hearing on July 29, 2025, Scott admitted under oath to violating several conditions of her supervised release, including a prohibition against non-incidental contact with animals.
On June 20, 2025, Indianapolis Animal Care Services responded to complaints by concerned citizens that Scott was using the alias “Teal Serain” to respond to Facebook ads for reuniting lost and found pets with their owners. Using that alias, Scott responded to one such ad and acquired a dog through false pretenses. Namely, Scott falsely claimed that the missing dog belonged to her or her family, when it did not. Scott had used a similar ruse to acquire the animals she tortured, which led to her original conviction in 2021. The individuals who posted the ad became suspicious and reached out to law enforcement.
The dog Scott acquired via the online ad was not located. Citizens also recorded the accounts of witnesses who reported discovering a deceased dog at the homeless encampment where Scott was residing. The dog had been found in a trash bag with its stomach protruding from its body cavity.
The Indianapolis Animal Care Services investigated the complaints and later discovered that Scott was residing in a U-Haul van with 12 dogs and cats, all of which were dehydrated, malnourished, and living in excessive fecal matter. The officers also noticed the smell of a decomposing animal in the van, but no deceased animals were found.
Searches of Scott’s cellular device and Facebook account showed that she was a member of at least 12 pet adoption groups online, and had been selling or attempting to sell pelts that she claimed were from exotic animals.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.
To report animal neglect or abuse in Indianapolis, residents should submit a complaint online at RequestIndy or through the Request Indy phone app. All complaints are automatically entered into a system for Animal Care Officers (ACO) to investigate. Reporting a complaint via social media, email, or phone call will result in a delayed response.
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California man arrested, charged with making fake ID’s for Door Dash driversRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Miguel Angel Guevara-Murillo, 34, of Stockton, California, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of a document-making implement, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 28, 2025, a vehicle bearing California license plates, and being driven by Guevara-Murillo, was encountered at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY, after making a wrong turn from the United States. Guevara-Murillo and a passenger provided Columbian passports to the Customs and Border Protection Officer. The vehicle was referred to secondary inspection, during which Guevara-Murillo was found to be a citizen of Columbia who entered the United States without inspection in 2022, served with a notice to appear, and was released on parole.
During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered a counterfeit California driver's license with Guevara-Murillo’s photo and the name of Sean Patrick Allen, as well as numerous items that could be used to produce fake identification documents. By Homeland Security Investigations officers located a red DoorDash tote inside the vehicle, which contained a laptop, an access card printer, blank plastic access cards, a scanner, a paper cutter/ruler, and other items and documents. Guevara-Murillo told investigators he used the equipment to make counterfeit state identification documents, which he sold for $250 to individuals who sought to work as drivers for DoorDash.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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California Woman Who Fled Federal Bond Sentenced to 17 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Dana Diane Shay, 37, of Fountain Valley, California, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on two occasions in 2020, Shay delivered narcotics as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that reached into South Carolina. On Nov. 25, 2020, Shay delivered 29 pounds of methamphetamine in Charlotte, North Carolina. Again, on Dec. 7, 2020, Shay delivered 50 pounds of methamphetamine and 45 pounds of marijuana in Charlotte.
In December of 2020, Shay was arrested on federal drug trafficking charges and arraigned in Greenville and placed on bond. However, Shay cut off her ankle monitor and became a fugitive in August of 2021. Shay remained a fugitive until August 2024 when she was arrested out of state and transported back to South Carolina to face her federal charges. The court increased Shay’s sentence because she absconded.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Dana Shay to 204 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. The court also ordered a money judgment against Shay for $300,000.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Carlton Bruce Cooke, 40, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is committed to ensuring our community’s most violent offenders are confronted with the full force of the law. This repeat felon not only unlawfully possessed a firearm, he used it to threaten others. Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who are endangering our communities. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe”
Court records reflect that during the early morning hours on July 10, 2024, the defendant observed his roommates sitting in a truck in their driveway talking. The defendant exited the residence with a firearm in hand ordering everyone to leave. He then fired a round into the ground near the vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant on defendant’s vehicle. The loaded handgun he had used and another loaded handgun with an extended magazine and ammunition were seized. The defendant has been previously convicted of multiple firearms offenses.
The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 27 Years for 2016 Murder and Conspiracy to Distribute Crack and HeroinRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that BRUCE MORRIS, a/k/a “G,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to 27 years in prison in connection with the August 2016 murder of Jerome Jemison in the Bronx, New York, as well as related narcotics and firearm offenses. MORRIS was convicted following a jury trial in January 2025 of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin and of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in connection with that conspiracy. Following an evidentiary hearing, Judge Furman also found that MORRIS was responsible for the murder of Jemison.
“In 2016, Bruce Morris murdered Jerome Jemison in the middle of the day on the landing of a public stairwell of an apartment building in the Bronx, a building that he terrorized for over a decade,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Morris has now been held accountable for his heinous crimes.”
As detailed in public filings and public court proceedings:
From at least 2012 through in or about June 2023, MORRIS led a narcotics conspiracy that sold crack cocaine and heroin in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The base of MORRIS’s operation was an apartment in the building where his family lived at 868 Faile Street and the surrounding area, as well as, for a time, a vacant apartment in that same building. MORRIS used guns, threats of violence, and acts of violence to maintain control of his drug trafficking business and the building. On one occasion, when the superintendent of the building confronted the conspirators about their use of the vacant apartment, MORRIS threatened the superintendent with a firearm.
On August 11, 2016, during the middle of a summer day, on the third floor of 868 Faile Street, MORRIS shot Sal in the back of his head over a drug debt. Sal was 46 years old.
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In addition to his prison term, MORRIS, 43, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Weinberg, Camille L. Fletcher, Jeffrey W. Coyle, Jackie Delligatti, and Marguerite B. Colson are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Jackie Fleury.
Argument Gets Man 15-Year Prison Sentence for ManslaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deandre Miles, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced August 1, 2025, in Superior Court, to 15 years for charges pertaining to the shooting death of 28-year-old Davon Fuller in October 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Miles pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and destruction of property (felony) on February 28, 2025. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt also ordered Miles to serve 12 months for the destruction of property charge to run concurrent to the 15-year prison term for the manslaughter charge.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early afternoon of October 16, 2023, in the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue, NE, the victim, Davon Fuller, and the defendant got into an argument inside a store at Hechinger Mall. Although they left the store without incident, when the men saw each other a few minutes later inside another business at the mall they again got into an argument. The argument persisted outside the store where Miles pulled out a gun and Mr. Fuller took out a knife. Despite Mr. Fuller telling Miles to stop following him, Miles persisted walking behind Mr. Fuller throughout the mall before fatally shooting Mr. Fuller five times. The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including to his shoulder, torso, buttocks and upper extremities. After all life-saving measures were attempted, Mr. Fuller succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Miles was arrested on December 27, 2023, where he remains in custody.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced for His Role in Covering up MurderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced today to 199 days in prison for assisting in the cover-up of the kidnapping and murder of Thomas Anthony Brown in the To’Hajiilee area of the Navajo Nation.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on or about June 24, 2020, Antonio Chaco assaulted Thomas Brown outside Chaco’s trailer home. Chaco then rolled Brown in a square of carpet and transported him to a remote desert location. There, Chaco continued his violent assault and ultimately abandoned Brown without water, food, or shelter.
Area in To’Hajiilee where John Doe was discovered.Brown’s decayed remains were discovered on July 4, 2020. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined Brown’s cause of death to be homicidal violence, including blunt-force head trauma.
Thomas Brown’s picture and cowboy hat, as displayed during Chaco’s sentencingAfter the assault and kidnapping, Peter Paul Sandoval, 60, knowingly took steps to help Chaco conceal his criminality. Specifically, Sandoval cleaned blood from the car used to transport Brown, thus destroying potential evidence, doing so with the intent of preventing Chaco’s arrest, prosecution, and punishment.
Sandoval pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping. Upon his release from prison, Sandoval will be subject to three years of supervised release. He must also pay restitution to Brown’s family.
Chaco pled guilty earlier this month to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones and Brittany DuChaussee prosecuted these cases.
Saturday 2 August 2025
Fultonville Man Indicted in 2013 Arson that Killed Three Children and Their FatherRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Edward Leon, age 53, of Fultonville, New York, was charged on Tuesday with malicious use of fire to destroy property resulting in death. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that on May 2, 2013, Leon used fire to maliciously damage and destroy a rental property at 438 Hulett Street in Schenectady, resulting in the deaths of David Terry and three of his children, Michael Terry, Layah Terry, and Donovan Duell. The fire also seriously injured a fourth child. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Leon was arraigned on Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Mitchell J. Katz. A detention hearing is scheduled for August 6, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.
Upon conviction, the charge filed against Leon carries a minimum term of 7 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or the death penalty, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
ATF is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department, Schenectady Fire Department, New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control, New York State Police, Rotterdam Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, St. Johnsville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Wentworth-Ping, Richard D. Bellis, and Mikayla Espinosa are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with knowledge or information about this case is encouraged to contact the ATF Albany Field Office at 518-431-4182.
Friday 1 August 2025
York County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy While in State PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jacquese Traveon Underwood, 40, of Rock Hill has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl. At the time of the conspiracy, Underwood was incarcerated in the Department of Corrections serving a sentence for drug trafficking.
During an investigation of Darryl Hemphill and others, agents learned that Underwood was responsible for arranging the purchase and distribution of narcotics he obtained from Hemphill, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl-based pills. The fentanyl-based pills Underwood obtained from Hemphill resembled that of an Oxycodone pill, also known in the generic form as Roxicodone. Hemphill and other members of his drug trafficking organization produced the pills, which were clandestinely manufactured with fentanyl at various locations around Rock Hill and Charlotte. As the leader of this organization, Hemphill was supplying the drugs to Underwood while he was incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Underwood used his drug trafficking knowledge to continue his drug trafficking business while inside the SCDC system. Agents identified Underwood from monitored telephone calls with Hemphill and statements from others. Agents learned that Underwood and others taught Hemphill the process to order, ship, and receive narcotics from Southern California. Underwood utilized associates outside the prison facility to obtain the drugs from Hemphill in Rock Hill. Underwood arranged the purchase and exchange of the drugs from Hemphill to other individuals.
While incarcerated, Underwood received at least 1,000 fentanyl-based pills, over 700 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 312 grams of cocaine from Hemphill.
United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Underwood to 121 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This investigation and arrests are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Waikiki Drug Dealer Who Distributed Fentanyl Pills Linked to U.S. Marine’s Death Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Justin Wu, 23, of Waikiki, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A. S. Park to 120 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release for distributing pills containing fentanyl and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
According to court records, Wu distributed five small blue pills containing fentanyl to an 18-year-old United States Marine on November 9, 2021 and was arrested in possession of approximately 17 grams of cocaine on June 29, 2022. Investigators determined that the Marine died from fentanyl toxicity a day after Wu gave him the pills. Judge Park imposed an upward variance from the advisory Sentencing Guidelines range, observing that Wu’s distribution of fentanyl contributed to and facilitated the Marine’s death. Judge Park also noted that Wu was dealing drugs while on federal probation for a prior drug trafficking conviction—a “brazen” betrayal of the district court’s trust—and that while in custody pending trial, Wu attempted to obstruct justice by soliciting another person to present perjured testimony on his behalf. Wu’s prior federal probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to concurrent time.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Albanese and Jonathan D. Slack prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man to Serve 15 Years for Stalking, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Moneta, Virginia man, who was part of an online group that engaged in cyber stalking and extortion, was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in federal prison for stalking and possessing child pornography.
Evan Strauss, 26, a.k.a. “Reaper” and “Kobe Deonsons,” pled guilty in November 2024 to one count of stalking and one count of possession of child pornography.
“This sentence reflects the serious nature of these crimes and the real danger young people face in today’s online environment,” United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert said today. “Far too often we see young people get involved in an online relationship that quickly leads to bullying, harassment, abuse, and other abhorrent and predatory behavior. However, when that behavior turns criminal, like in this case, the Department of Justice will do everything within its power to protect victims of crime and hold perpetrators accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
“The internet offers young people an accessible way to find a sense of belonging. Predators like Strauss and others involved in the “Community” hide behind their screens, preying on these unsuspecting victims. This sentencing should be a reminder that if you seek to manipulate, threaten, and extort minors you cannot hide. The FBI will work with our local, state, and federal partners to find you and bring you to justice,” said Stephen Farina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
According to court documents, on November 1, 2023, Strauss and “Minor A,” a 17-year-old girl from Wyoming, met online and began to engage in regular communication. Over the course of several months, Strauss used various interactive computer services, electronic communications services, and other systems to harass and intimidate Minor A and to place her under surveillance.
Shortly after they met, Strauss became controlling and would scream at and threaten Minor A. He discovered the victim’s home address and threatened to retaliate against her if she did not do what he asked her to do, like send him nude pictures or cut herself. For example, Strauss threatened to “swat” (i.e., to place a fictitious call to emergency services) Minor A’s house. Strauss also threatened to show up and kill her, her family, and her cat, or to have Minor A’s sisters removed from the home by social services. As proof of his sincerity, Strauss boasted that he had killed animals before. He also researched Minor A and members of her family to discover personal identifying information about them that he could use to convince Minor A that he knew enough information to cause her and her family harm.
Concerned for her family, the victim gave into Strauss’s demands. Among other things, the victim, at Strauss’s direction, carved Strauss’s online username, Reaper, into her upper thigh.
On January 24, 2024, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Strauss while conducting a search of his residence. Among the evidence seized as part of the search was an iPhone containing multiple videos and images of young girls who are naked and/or cutting themselves. These include pictures of Minor A with “Reaper” carved into her thigh and with other cuts on her legs, as well as a surreptitious recording that Strauss took of Minor A masturbating with a hairbrush.
Strauss also proclaimed to be an active member of a group of approximately 200 individuals known as the “Community,” and that he operated a sub-group within the Community known as “Purgatory.” According to Strauss, the Community participates in a variety of criminal activities online, including placing swatting calls, hacking, blackmailing individuals for money, and extorting women and girls to obtain explicit photos or videos of themselves and to commit acts of self-harm.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff is prosecuting the case
Victorville Man Found Guilty of Transporting 15-Year-Old Girl from San Luis Obispo County to Mexico for Illicit Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man who posed online as a teenage boy and enticed a 15-year-old girl to have a sexual relationship before bringing her to Mexico has been found guilty on all federal charges he faced at the conclusion of a four-day trial, the Justice Department announced today.
Daniel Navarro, 41, of Victorville, who sometimes posed online as “Angel,” was found guilty late Thursday of two counts of sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of transportation of child pornography.
Navarro was arrested in July 2022 as he entered the United States from Mexico 10 days after he brought the victim to Mexico just before her quinceañera. The victim, an Arizona girl who was spending the summer in the Central Coast town of Nipomo – was rescued by Mexican authorities from a Tijuana residence after Navarro’s arrest. He remains in federal custody.
According to evidence presented at trial, Navarro had an online relationship with this victim. A review of one of his Instagram accounts revealed conversations between Navarro and this victim on her Instagram account in which Navarro professed his love for this victim and discussed having sex with her to impregnate her.
Navarro transported this victim from San Luis Obispo County to Tijuana, Mexico, with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Navarro also used Instagram to distribute child pornography to this minor and with transporting child pornography on his phone as he traveled from Tijuana, Mexico, up to San Luis Obispo County before making the return trip to Tijuana. The evidence at trial also showed that Navarro used Instagram to persuade, induce, and entice another second victim to send him sexual images.
United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled an October 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Navarro will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The FBI and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office provided substantial assistance. The FBI’s Legal Attaché in Mexico City and Mexican law enforcement authorities provided assistance during this investigation. DHS Homeland Security Investigations provided assistance at the southern border and during Navarro’s arrest.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Reidy of the Major Frauds Section and Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu are prosecuting this case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events in nearly a dozen communities across the district next Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
“The Western District of Virginia is one of the most geographically diverse districts in the country, spanning from the Northern Shenandoah Valley all the way down to the North Carolina border and we will have AUSAs and staff at events throughout the entire region,” United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert said today. “National Night Out is an opportunity for folks in our community who might not know what the U.S. Attorney’s Office is, what we do, or the services we provide to meet us one-on-one. It’s a wonderful night where communities come together and reminds us, we have much more in common than we think.”
Assistant United States Attorneys and professional staff will travel throughout the Western District of Virginia to attend National Night Out events in Abingdon, Bristol, Chilhowie, Albemarle County, Louisa, Pulaski, Woodstock, Vinton, Roanoke, and more.
“Local law enforcement plays a crucial role in Department of Justice priorities, like Operation Take Back America, and we are proud to meet our partners in their communities to increase partnerships and trust during National Night Out,” U.S. Attorney Gilbert said. “These bonds strengthen relationships which makes our entire district safer.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 91 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 91 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On July 28, Martin ALFARO Arambula, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, ALFARO was attempting to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry when he was intercepted by Customs and Border Patrol agents with 221.18 kgs (487.62 lbs.) of cocaine.
- On July 29, Luis Antonio CARCAMO and Isabel VERA-Cortes were arrested and charged with bringing in and harboring certain aliens. According to a complaint, U.S. Border Patrol Agents were conducting a pro-active patrol of Interstate 5, when they observed a suspicious vehicle. Following a traffic stop on the suspicious vehicle, U.S. Border Patrol Agents conducted an immigration inspection on the driver and passengers of the vehicle later identified as CARCAMO and VERA, who identified themselves as United States Citizens. After U.S. Border Patrol Agents learned that the third occupant of the vehicle was a citizen of Mexico without immigration documents, Border Patrol Agents placed CARCAMO and VERA under arrest for alien smuggling.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On July 29, Abner Leon-Mote, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon in April 2018, was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
- On July 29, Juan Carlos Luna Valenzuela, a Mexican national who was convicted of illegal entry and deported in 2024, was sentenced in federal court to 67 days’ in custody for again entering the U.S illegally. He was also sentenced to an additional, consecutive 30 days’ custody for violating probation in his prior illegal entry case.
- On July 31, Gustavo Sanchez Meneses, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony sexual abuse of a child for which he served 12 years in state custody and was deported in 2022, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for entering the U.S illegally.
- On August 1, Antonio Reyes-Camacho, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of a felony in 2023 and twice removed from the U.S., was sentenced in federal court to time served for being found unlawfully in the U.S.
- On August 1, Noe Dario Lopez Saavedra, a Mexican national who worked as a ministerial officer at the Attorney General’s Office in Mexico, was sentenced in federal court to 21 months in custody for participating in an international conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
- On August 1, Sabino Valderas-Largo, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of five DUI offenses, including a felony DUI, was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release for again entering the U.S illegally.
- On August 1, Ricardo Barajas-Beltran, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Trafficking in Cocaine, Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Trafficking in Illegal Drugs, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Marijuana more than One Ounce, and Possession of Sawed-Off Shotgun, Sawed-Off Rifle, Machine Gun, Dangerous Weapon, or Silencer in 2019, was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release for again entering the U.S illegally.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending August 1, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 35 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 4 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 36 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 33 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking, DUI, and human smuggling.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
U. S. Attorney's Office Supports Local Law Enforcement Partners During National Night OutRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events in Cleveland and across the region.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
Scheduled Events:
- City of Cleveland’s National Night Out
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 4-8 p.m.
Steelyard Commons, 3447 Steelyard Dr., Cleveland OH
Lake County-Painesville’s National Night Out
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6-8 p.m.
Veteran’s Park, 56 S. Park Place, Painesville, OH
Shaker Heights National Night Out
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6-8 p.m.
3441 Tuttle Td, Shaker Heights, OH
- City of Toledo’s National Night Out
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 3-7 p.m.
Glass City Metropark, 1505 Front St., Toledo OH
Three Ohio Residents Arrested for Road Rage Shooting in Great Smoky Mountain National ParkRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Yosiah Awomolo, 20, Alexander Legeza, 21, and Kelly White, 28, all Ohio residents, with were charged in a federal criminal complaint today on charges involving a road rage shooting within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). They had their initial appearance today in the United States District Court in Knoxville, before the Honorable Debra C. Poplin, United States Magistrate Judge.
The criminal complaint filed with the court alleges that on July 31, 2025, law enforcement officers from GSMNP and the Gatlinburg Police Department responded to a road rage incident involving the discharge of a firearm and threatening of a person with a deadly weapon on U.S. 441 South (The Spur). Law enforcement determined that Yosiah Awomolo, the driver of a 2022 gray Buick Envision, threatened the driver of a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a handgun and fired one round into the pickup truck. The round lodged in the driver’s lunchbox that was on the front passenger seat. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered the shell casing in the roadway on U.S. 441 South in the same area of the reported shooting. Alexander Legeza and Kelly White were passengers in the Buick Envision.
The complaint further alleges that the Pigeon Forge Police Department located the suspect vehicle at the Park Tower Inn in Pigeon Forge, TN. Officers arrested all three suspects and seized two firearms from inside the suspects’ hotel room. The criminal complaint charges Awomolo with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment, and communicating a threat to another person. Legeza is charged with felon in possession of a firearm and misprison of a felony. White is charged with misprison of a felony.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
This prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the National Park Service, Gatlinburg Police Department, and Pigeon Forge Police Department.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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St. Pete Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that David Araujo (57, St. Petersburg) has pleaded guilty to production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Araujo faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production offense and a minimum prison sentence of 10 years, up to life, for the attempted enticement offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in July 2024, an undercover officer from the Ocala Police Department posed online as a 14-year-old prostitute (UC). Araujo messaged the UC and, after learning the UC’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the UC. During the conversation, Araujo described to the UC a prior relationship he had had with another minor. Araujo was arrested by law enforcement when he drove from St. Petersburg to Marion County to meet with the UC to engage in sexual activity. A search of Araujo’s cellphone revealed he had produced CSAM with the previous minor victim on September 25, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Florida Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Smuggling Fentanyl and Other Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jose Santos Pardo (25, Homestead) to 14 months in federal prison for possession of contraband by a federal inmate. Santos Pardo pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025.
According to court records, Santos Pardo was an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in 2022. He was assigned to a low security section of the prison where inmates are not confined by fencing. On the night of November 19, 2022, a correctional officer saw Santos Pardo running along the side of the road carrying two duffle bags and a trash bag. Staff members confronted Santos Pardo and searched the bags which contained drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and cellphones. During an interview with law enforcement, Santos Pardo admitted that he had picked up the bags from the road to bring them back to his housing unit. Inmates are prohibited from possessing these items because they threaten the order, discipline, and security of the prison, as well as the life, health, and safety of federal prisoners and staff.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Six DeLand Men Sentenced for Trafficking Military-Grade Firearms to Mexican Drug CartelsRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that six individuals have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in a firearms trafficking conspiracy.
See chart below:
Name
(Age, City of Residence)
ChargesNumber of Firearms PurchasedSentence ImposedAngel Velazquez Delgado
(34, DeLand)
Firearms trafficking
Straw purchasing
109 yearsJesus Hernandez
(32, DeLand)
Straw purchasing103 years, 10 monthsEdgar Jimenez
(30, DeLand)
Straw purchasing53 yearsJesus Paulino
(27, DeLand)
Straw purchasing42 yearsJonathan Borja
(23, DeLando)
Straw purchasing21 year, 6 monthsJesus Andres
(28, DeLand)
Making a false statement on firearm transaction record21 year, 6 monthsAccording to court documents, in May 2023, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating a firearms trafficking organization operating in the Middle District of Florida. The organization was comprised of at least six individuals and led by Angel Velazquez Delgado. The conspirators purchased high-caliber firearms in the United States for resale to Mexican drug cartels. These cartels were and are criminal organizations engaged in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States.
The trafficked firearms included high-caliber, armor-piercing, and anti-material weapons. For example, approximately 11 of the firearms trafficked by this organization included Barrett .50 caliber rifles, which can expel a very accurate, heavy, and fast-moving projectile that defeats all individually worn body armor, can penetrate and disable vehicles, aircraft, boats, and can even defeat some types of protection provided by armored vehicles. These rifles are highly sought after by the cartels in their efforts to control large territories. The organization also trafficked approximately 16 FN M249S rifles, which are sold in the United States as a semi-automatic weapon but are easily converted into a machinegun. The firearms were purchased at the request of the cartels and transported to the cartels soon after purchase.
Using the eTrace Firearm Recovery Notification Program, Mexican authorities were able to confirm the presence of at least one of the trafficked firearms in Mexico. On March 22, 2023, Mexican State Police and Mexican Military personnel were involved in a shootout with suspected members of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación in Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. Two individuals were killed during the exchange of gunfire. After the shooting, a Barrett, model 82A1, .50 caliber rifle purchased by Jesus Hernandez on November 8, 2022, was recovered. At some point, members of the firearms trafficking conspiracy began removing the serial numbers from the firearms prior to shipment.
“Dismantling this Central Florida-based firearms trafficking ring is a huge win for public safety in Mexico and America,” said Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “The CJNG is a notoriously brutal transnational criminal organization designated as a foreign terrorist organization that now has less fuel for its violent criminal activities, thanks to this joint team.”
“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime is one of the top priorities of my District,” said U.S. Attorney Kehoe. “These individuals have trafficked high-caliber, military-grade weapons into the hands of dangerous Mexican cartel members and thus have caused a serious risk to the health and safety of others. My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to hold those who jeopardize public safety accountable for their crimes.”
This case was investigated by the ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Volusia Bureau of Investigations, and the DeLand Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lyons and Noah Dorman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
San Joaquin County Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Illegal Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Alejandra Susana Castillo, 34, of Tracy, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to five years in prison for illegal firearms trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, between Aug. 22, 2023, and Aug. 27, 2024, Castillo and a co‑conspirator trafficked firearms by purchasing them in Nevada and selling them on the black market in California. Because Castillo’s co-conspirator is a convicted felon and was not able to purchase the firearms himself, he entered into a criminal partnership with Castillo to purchase the firearms for him. In general, the two obtained firearms by traveling together to firearms dealers in Nevada, where the co-conspirator would enter the stores first, identify the firearms he wanted to Castillo via text message or other communications, and then exit the store. Castillo, who was not prohibited person at the time, would then enter the store and purchase the firearms, pretending they were for her. Once Castillo had the firearms, the two would then travel back to California, where they would unlawfully sell them to people who could not lawfully purchase firearms.
On July 27, 2024, Castillo’s co-conspirator led a law enforcement officer on a high-speed chase, which was ultimately ended because of public safety concerns. Two days later, another law enforcement officer observed the car involved in the chase parked at a gas station. The officer detained Castillo, who was then using the car. During a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered a semi-automatic rifle in the trunk, along with three extended magazines.
In total, more than 30 firearms were traced to this conspiracy. At least four of these firearms have since been recovered in connection with suspected firearm-related crimes. One such firearm, for example, was recovered by the California Highway Patrol in the possession of a felon in Vallejo on July 25, 2024, only three days after Castillo purchased the firearm in Nevada.
Castillo was ordered report to prison on Nov. 1, 2025. Her co-conspirator is currently in federal custody for a related case.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the Pleasanton Police Department, the Reno Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
Road Rage Attack Results in Prison Sentence for Assault on a Senior CitizenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronald Hall, 56, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced in Superior Court for assaulting a senior citizen during a road rage incident, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hall pleaded guilty on May 30, 2025, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. On July 29, 2025, Superior Court Judge Carmen Mclean sentenced Hall to 36 months in prison, requiring Hall to serve 30 months of incarceration, and suspending the remaining six months of the sentence. Judge McLean imposed two years of supervised probation to follow his 30-month prison term, during which the Court ordered Hall to comply with substance abuse treatment and abstain from alcohol.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 1, 2025, Hall and the victim got into a car accident near the 3900 block of East Capitol Street NE. Hall chased the victim through traffic and attempted to stab him with a knife. Hall was arrested at the scene.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck.
Registered Sex Offender Indicted for Attempting to Meet A 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of a two-count indictment charging Trevor Hedge (56, Ocala) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender. If convicted on all counts, Hedge faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. Hedge is currently detained pending the resolution of his case.
According to the indictment and court records, in May 2025, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed online as a 13-year-old child (UC). Hedge messaged the UC and, after learning the UC’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. Hedge and the UC agreed to meet at a predetermined location in Marion County to engage in sexual activity. Hedge was arrested by law enforcement when he arrived at that location.
Hedge is a registered sex offender. He was convicted of first-degree sexual assault in 1993.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pueblo Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison on Drug, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Dominick Jesus Salazar, 52, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm and ammunition despite having been previously convicted of a felony.
According to the facts established at trial last year, on May 23, 2023, Salazar was arrested outside of a Pueblo-area hotel room he was staying in after Pueblo Police Officers saw him interacting with multiple people in a manner consistent with hand-to-hand drug sales. When officers arrested Salazar, he had a loaded pistol in his pocket, along with drug proceeds. Inside his hotel room, officers found 188 grams of methamphetamine and 82 fentanyl pills. Evidence on Salazar’s phone showed he had been dealing drugs out of his hotel room.
“Pueblo is safer because Mr. Salazar is going to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “We’re grateful to the committed men and women of the Pueblo Police Department and federal partners like the FBI who are invested in reducing violent crime and drug dealing in that community.”
“When we bring the full force of federal prosecution against drug dealers, we're not just making arrests—we're delivering justice with real consequences,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The FBI stands united with local law enforcement and will use every tool we have to drive violent crime out of our communities.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing. The FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 23-CR-00310
Prince George’s Man Sentenced for Federal Carjacking, Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Sean Franklin Mills, Jr., 21, of Capital Heights, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking and use, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the guilty plea, from November 27, 2022, thru December 19, 2022, Mills and a co-conspirator carjacked six victims at gunpoint in Prince George’s County, Maryland. On November 27, Mills and a co-conspirator — who were dressed in all-black clothing and wearing ski masks — approached Victim 1 and carjacked his 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 approached from a rear alley, pointing handguns at him. Mills, who pointed a greenish-tan pistol, began to chase the victim. After Victim 1 tripped and fell, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 demanded his keys. In fear for his life, Victim 1 relinquished the keys and then Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 entered the vehicle and fled the scene.
On December 4, Mills, armed with a black handgun, spotted Victim 2 at a Capitol Heights, Maryland gas station. Mills, who was wearing a black ski mask, black shirt, and grey sweatpants, ran across the street to the gas station as Victim 2 fueled his 2013 Honda Accord. Mills then pointed a black handgun at Victim 2 and demanded the keys to the vehicle. Victim 2 told Mills the keys were inside the vehicle and then Mills demanded that he remove the gas pump from the Accord before entering the vehicle and fleeing the scene.
Then on December 6, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 arrived at a Hyattsville, Maryland gas station in an older model gray Honda Accord that was consistent with the vehicle Mills carjacked on December 4. They pulled up next to Victim 3 who was sitting in a 2022 Toyota Camry. Mills wearing all-black clothing, jumped out of the front passenger seat, pointed a black handgun at Victim 3, and demanded Victim 3’s Camry. Victim 3, in fear for his life, complied. Mills entered Victim 3’s vehicle and drove away. Co-Conspirator 1 followed Mills in the stolen Accord.
Two days later, on December 8, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked a vehicle in Temple Hills, Maryland. As Victim 4 entered his 2021 Toyota Camry, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 pulled up in a gray sedan. Mills, armed with a black and silver handgun with an extended magazine — and wearing a face mask, sunglasses, dark gray hoodie, black sweatpants, and sandals — exited the vehicle and approached Victim 4. Mills pointed the handgun at Victim 4 and demanded Victim 4’s car and cell phone. In fear for his life, Victim 4 complied and gave Mills the Camry. Mills got in the Camry and drove off while Co-Conspirator 1 followed behind him in the gray sedan.
Then on December 19, Mills and his co-conspirator committed two more carjackings. Mills and his co-conspirator approached Victim 5 as he delivered a DoorDash meal in Landover, Maryland. Mills and his co-conspirator drove up behind Victim 5 in a silver sedan. Then Mills jumped out, wearing all-black clothing and a mask, armed with a black handgun. Mills pointed the handgun at Victim 5 and demanded the keys to Victim 5’s 2022 Toyota Corolla. Victim 5, in fear for his life, complied. Mills then entered the Corolla and fled the scene while Co-Conspirator 1 followed behind in the gray sedan.
A couple of hours later, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked a vehicle in Hyattsville, Maryland. Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 arrived in a gray Honda Accord. Mills approached Victim 6 as he sat in his parked 2020 Toyota Highlander. Then Mills pointed a black handgun at Victim 6 and demanded his vehicle and money. In fear for his life, Victim 6 complied. Mills entered the Toyota Highlander and fled the scene while Co-Conspirator 1 followed in the gray Honda Accord.
On December 20, law enforcement, used GPS tracking information to conduct surveillance on Mills. Within a short distance of Mills’s residence, law enforcement spotted the Toyota Highlander that Mills carjacked the previous day.
Then on December 21, PGPD officers and helicopter team surveilled New Carrollton, Maryland, where they found Mills and Co-conspirator 1 in the stolen gray Accord. PGPD officers conducted a tactical stop on the vehicle and ordered Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 out of the vehicle. Inside of the vehicle, officers recovered two loaded handguns.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI and the PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Dawn Williams who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Previously Deported Alien Indicted for Illegal Reentry and Selling False Immigration DocumentsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment against Luis Eduardo Torres-Hernandez, 39, residing in Sacramento, charging him with 10 counts of transferring false identification documents, and one count of illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, between September and December 2024, Torres-Hernandez sold multiple sets of false identification documents to undercover agents. The documents included Permanent Resident (green) cards and Social Security cards that, while appearing to be issued by and under the authority of the United States, were instead false documents produced without lawful authority.
According to the indictment, on Aug. 29, 2014, Torres-Hernandez was deported from the United States after a previous conviction for transferring false identification documents in the Eastern District of California.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Torres-Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each false documents count and 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the illegal reentry count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Revolver Discovered After Crashing into a Police CruiserRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derrick Howard, 30, a previously convicted felon from the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison in connection with being in illegal possession of a Rohm .38 special revolver when he crashed his unlicensed motor scooter into a marked police cruiser, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Howard pleaded guilty on Apr. 11, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
In addition to the 21-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Howard to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining the announcement of the sentencing were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on Jan. 27, 2025, at 7:15 a.m., Howard was riding a motor scooter when he ran a red light and struck a marked police vehicle that was passing through the intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road NE.
The police officer called for assistance and reported that she had been involved in a traffic accident. A detective responded and observed that the motorized scooter had no tags, and that Howard was not wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time of the crash. The detective ran a check and learned Howard was not licensed to drive a motorized scooter and, in addition, that the motorized scooter was not registered. The detective placed Howard under arrest.
Howard was wearing a satchel bag around his neck. During a search incident to the arrest, officers recovered a Rohm .38 special caliber revolver from the satchel loaded with five rounds of ammunition.
Howard’s criminal history includes previous convictions for assault with a dangerous weapon in 2021, unauthorized use of a vehicle in 2019, and unauthorized use of a vehicle in 2017.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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Pensacola Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Brandon Martez Black, 27, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On June 8, 2024, Black, a felon with prior drug trafficking convictions, fled in a vehicle from the Florida Highway Patrol (“FHP”) after an attempted traffic stop. FHP was able to disable Black’s vehicle after performing a Precision Immobilization Technique. Black fled on foot and threw a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol over a fence into a residential backyard, which was later recovered by law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who pose a danger to our communities, and keeping a repeat offender like this one off the streets is exactly what they meant. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia County Sherriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Panama City Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jericho Rayne Skipper, 30, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and ten years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography. Skipper will also be required to pay $66,000 in restitution to the victims. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This case demonstrates the excellent work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to identify those who prey upon the most vulnerable of members of our community—our young children. My office will aggressively prosecute anyone caught peddling child porn, and we will not rest until every child is safe from the predations of these sick individuals.”
According to court records, in July 2024, a team of law enforcement officers in the Panama City area determined that Skipper had been using social media and online chat applications to trade images of adults engaged in sexually explicit conduct with young children, infants, and toddlers. Following his arrest, Skipper confessed to collecting the illegal images.
“The abhorrent crime of trafficking imagery of the sexual abuse of children online is abhorrent at every level, and contributes to their repeated victimization,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI is committed to continue working side-by-side with our state and local partners to identify these predators, remove their online footprints, and get victims the help the so desperately need.”
“Keeping kids safe is a top priority, and it takes strong teamwork across agencies to make that happen,” said Sheriff Tommy Ford of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m proud of the partnership that helped bring this predator to justice.”
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Osceola Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Scheme Relating to Federal Criminal ForfeitureRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Levelle Joseph Harris (38, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud. Harris faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. Harris is also facing a forfeiture order of $640,911.85, which represents the total proceeds he obtained through his fraudulent conduct. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, Harris previously committed wire fraud in 2020 by fraudulently obtaining $1,283,029.81 in COVID relief funds. He then used some of the stolen funds to purchase a residential property. Harris was federally prosecuted and convicted of 14 counts of wire fraud relating to that conduct. The United States then sought the forfeiture of the residential property Harris had purchased with the stolen COVID relief funds. Before his sentencing in that case, Harris claimed he had sold the property and gave the proceeds to the United States. Agents later determined, however, that the sale was unlawful. Between February 7, 2022, and January 31, 2023, Harris devised another fraudulent scheme to avoid paying the criminal forfeiture by obtaining a mortgage on the property through false representations. He used the fraudulent mortgage proceeds to purchase the residence and pay off his criminal forfeiture. Through Harris’s mortgage fraud scheme, he fraudulently obtained another $640,911.85.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by visiting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Ocala Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Johnardo Davis (42, Ocala) to 25 years in federal prison for distributing and conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and other drugs. Davis pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025.
According to documents and information presented in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted controlled buys from Davis on July 29 and August 15, 2024. Each purchase involved more than two kilograms of methamphetamine. On December 10, 2024, agents searched Davis’s apartment and storage unit and located numerous items indicative of drug sales, including several pounds of marijuana, more than 600 grams of cocaine, and nearly $9,000 in cash.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Niagara Falls man going to prison on drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jermaine McQueen, 47, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 106 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on August 28, 2024, investigators executed search warrants at several locations associated with McQueen. They seized approximately 405 grams of cocaine, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, and approximately six grams of crack cocaine, drug packaging materials, $10,625 in cash, and several pieces of jewelry, which constitute proceeds of narcotics trafficking. During the investigation, law enforcement made controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from McQueen.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nick Ligammari, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
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Nanticoke Man Charged with Pandemic Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joseph Kaminski, age 58, of Nanticoke, Luzerne County, PA, was indicted on July 29, 2025, by a federal grand jury for pandemic fraud offenses, including wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”).
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from approximately January 2020 to approximately January 2025, Kaminski engaged in a scheme to defraud the SBA of over $850,000.00 in emergency pandemic funding made available to small business owners through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program. The indictment also alleges that Kaminski fraudulently obtained over $40,000.00 of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) benefits to which he was not entitled by deceiving the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations and by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffery St John and Tatum Wilson are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Mount Dora Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing and Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Brett Eugene Baldwin (43, Mount Dora) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Baldwin was found guilty on March 27, 2025, following a trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on November 28, 2023, Baldwin’s cellphone was seized during an unrelated state investigation. Pursuant to a search warrant, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) reviewed the contents of the cellphone and discovered thousands of files depicting CSAM, primarily of young children. After his first cellphone was seized by law enforcement, Baldwin obtained a second one. The second cellphone was later seized by law enforcement and searched pursuant to a warrant. Agents discovered that Baldwin had again downloaded thousands of files depicting CSAM onto the replacement cellphone.
“Our communities are safer today with this child predator off the streets,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This is an example of effective collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Mount Dora Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that, on July 31, 2025, Calvin Craig Griffin, 22, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 81 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following his prison term, Griffin will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on August 28, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department were conducting patrols in the area of Eastern Boulevard and Carmichael Road when they observed an individual entering a hotel room carrying what appeared to be an AR-style pistol. Hotel management informed officers that they suspected illegal activity in that room and requested assistance in having the individuals removed from the property.
When officers entered the room, they identified the armed individual as Calvin Griffin. Inside, they recovered an AR-style pistol with an extended magazine containing 63 rounds of ammunition. Because of prior felony convictions, Griffin is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. Griffin pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on April 21, 2025.
The case was investigated by the Montgomery Police Department (MPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, which includes the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, ATF, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and MPD. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Geer III prosecuted the case.